He locked the cabinet then took the key back to the cash register, where it lived most of the time. Another hour had passed and it was now fully dark. Landry could see the rain in the amber glow of the streetlights and where it bounced in puddles on the slick sidewalks. He doubted he’d see any more customers that day.
He ambled to the small kitchen area where Mr. Lao kept a kettle, one he’d brought back from a trip to the UK. Landry boiled some water then made himself a mug of instant hot chocolate from a packet. It wasn’t as good as he could make in his apartment, but it was sweet, hot and better than nothing. His hands were chilly so he wrapped them around the mug before taking his seat behind the register to daydream about Gage.
A few minutes later and only halfway through his drink, Landry was surprised to hear the bell above the shop door jangle. Three men came inside. One of them turned the ‘open’ sign to ‘closed’ and flicked the catch next to the handle. He waited by the door while the other two marched down the central aisle. Landry’s stomach knotted.
“I’d say can I help you, but I don’t think you’re here to buy anything, are you?” He took a few steps back.
“Where is it?” The man who spoke had cold eyes and a shaved head.
“Where’s what?” Landry had no idea why he was engaging in conversation.
“Don’t play dumb.”
Landry sidestepped the man that lunged for him, noting that his hair and the shoulders of his jacket were wet. He dived for the aisle to the right then sprinted the length of the shop before twisting through a narrow gap between the piles of furniture into the next aisle. He dropped to his knees then crawled under a table into the corner near the jewelry cabinet.
“There’s nowhere to hide, you little fucker. The harder you make this, the more it’s going to hurt in the end.”
All Landry could think was that the longer he hid, the more chance there was that someone might come by the shop, see the closed sign and suspect something was wrong. It was a very slim chance. Footsteps were getting closer, so he edged past the cabinet, squeezed around a bookcase then wiggled between a cast iron fire surround and a trench art umbrella stand. There was a slight clang as his hip caught the edge of the surround and it was enough to attract unwanted attention.
“He’s down there.”
“Cut him off!”
Fuck. Landry scrambled for the next aisle, knocking over a stack of walking sticks as he went. He grabbed one, rounded the next corner only to discover that he’d worked his way into a place where there was no escape other than back the way he’d come. His exit was now blocked by one of the men, his colleague close at his shoulder. Landry brandished the walking stick.
“Get away from me.”
Shaved head grabbed the end of the stick, yanking Landry toward him. Landry let go and momentum made the man stagger backward, cursing. Landry dropped to the floor, then crawled through his attacker’s legs. He yelped as the walking stick came down on his back.
“Grab him!” The second goon managed to get a hold of Landry’s top, but he pulled away. The fabric tore, leaving his shoulder bare. He lurched to his feet then skidded around the corner, but in his haste to get away had forgotten the third man guarding the door. He was the size of a grizzly bear and when Landry ran into him, not looking where he was going, he may as well have run straight into a brick wall.
“Oof.” Landry lost his balance and, arms flailing, fell onto his ass. The grizzly picked him up, slung Landry over his shoulder then carted him down the central aisle, where his colleague had positioned a chair. Landry found himself dumped on it like a sack of potatoes. Dazed, he had little strength to resist as his legs were taped to the chair. His arms were pulled behind it and taped at the wrists. He glared at his captors.
“Feisty little shit, aren’t you?” One of the men backhanded Landry across the face, the force tilting the chair back. It rocked into place and Landry spat blood. The grizzly ambled back to the front of the store. The other two men stood in front of Landry. Despite his fear, Landry tried to take in as many details as possible. All three men were, he guessed, Japanese. Well-dressed and cold-eyed. None of them had drawn a gun, but he could see the tell-tale bulge of holsters beneath their jackets.
“Well?” Landry spat the word out. “What the fuck do you want?”
“Show some respect.” The man standing to one side hit Landry again. He wore a heavy ring and the blow made Landry’s vision blur.
“It’s simple.” His colleague, the one not getting his hands dirty, spoke. “All you have to do is give us the key. Then we’ll leave you alone and you can get back to doing whatever it is you do in this mausoleum.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. What key?”
“You can act innocent all you like, but we know it’s here. We know you have it, so tell us where it is before we tear this place apart.”
“You want me to soften him up a bit more, boss?” The second guy flexed his hand and his knuckles cracked. The metallic taste of blood coated Landry’s tongue.
“I’m afraid my friend here has a taste for violence. He does love to inflict pain but I’ll give you one more chance. Tell me where the key is or I walk away and let him do what he will for the next ten minutes.”
“I can’t tell you what I don’t know,” Landry snapped. “The only keys we have in here are for the doors on some of the furniture. You can search all you like—you won’t find anything because there’s nothing to find.”
The shaven-headed thug drew a hunting knife from the inner pocket of his jacket. He removed it from its sheath and Landry couldn’t help but stare at the enormous serrated blade. “You think he’ll get more talkative when I start carving pieces off him, boss?” The goon with a taste for blood grinned. Landry tensed. He worked his wrists, trying to loosen the tape. His tormentor pressed the tip of his index finger to the point of the blade, drawing a spot of blood. “Time’s up.”
Transfixed, Landry couldn’t take his eyes off the knife as it was laid against his cheek. He guessed that even if he had known what his attackers were talking about and presented them with a gift-wrapped key, they would still have their fun. He leaned away but the pressure of the blade didn’t change.
A huge crash split the silence and the sound of shattering glass drew everyone’s attention to the front of the store. “Gage!” Landry prayed that his hero was coming to the rescue. He strained to see what was going on. The two men with him ran to aid their accomplice, who was flat on his back on the floor. Curses and yells filled the air. As the fight continued, Landry tore at his bonds. He managed to rip his wrists free then bent to tackle his taped ankles, all the while trying to keep an eye on the action. As soon as he was free, he ran for the cash register and the shelf where he stashed his phone. He dialed nine-one-one and gave a garbled explanation to the operator. A single gunshot had him ducking behind the counter where he hid, shaking. The noise stopped and, for a moment, an eerie quiet filled the store. Then there was the crunch of footsteps in broken glass.
“It’s safe. You can come out now.” The British accent told Landry that it hadn’t been Gage who had saved him.
“You!” Landry hauled himself to his feet.
“A simple ‘thank you’ will suffice.” James Ellery wiped his bloody nose with the back of his hand. “I do believe I’m going to have a black eye.” He wandered over to the nearest mirror, peering at his reflection.
“What are you doing here?” Landry asked.
“Hauling your pretty little backside out of trouble, it seems.”
“But that’s not why you came by, is it?”
“I told you I didn’t give up easily.” Ellery smirked. “I was going to give asking you out on a date another try. I saw the ‘closed’ sign on the door and knew it was too early. I guessed you may have snuck out to buy a coffee and as it’s raining cats and dogs out there, which I have to say reminds me of England, I decided to shelter in the doorway until you came back. The gorilla guarding your door gave me
a clue that something was amiss.”
“Amiss? Who talks like that?”
“Anyway, the gorilla attempted to wave me away and I took exception to his attitude. A shoulder to your door was all it took to break it down. Poor security by the way. Fortunately, the bigger the gorilla, the harder he falls. To be fair, I think he hit his head on the way down and was dazed. Then his chums joined the party and things got interesting.”
“I heard a shot.”
“They missed me.”
Sirens sounded in the distance. “About time,” Landry muttered. “Then what? You offered them a cup of tea and they declined the invitation?”
“I guess they realized they weren’t going to get what they wanted and cut their losses. They ran, but not before they got in a few lucky punches. I don’t suppose you have a steak, do you? Or a bag of frozen peas?”
Landry shook his head. “I think I have a frozen pizza upstairs.”
“I don’t think that’s going to be much good for my eye.” Ellery grinned.
“Oh, I wasn’t thinking.”
“No, really?”
“Hey, sarcasm is my thing.”
“You don’t have the monopoly.”
“I suppose I should thank you.”
“You can thank me by accepting my invitation. Come out for a drink with me.”
Landry stared at the handsome blond. He did look kind of dashing, splattered with blood, his eye swelling. “No! I told you before, I’m with Gage.”
“Tempted though, aren’t you?”
“Am not.”
“Are so. Your face is a bit bashed too—are you okay?”
“I’m…” Landry prodded the multiple sore bits of his face. “I don’t know what I am.”
“What the hell were those guys doing here anyway? They weren’t robbing the place, were they?”
“I have no idea.” Landry knuckled his temples. “But I’m beginning to wonder if there is a side to Mr. Lao I don’t know about, though he’s never been anything but honest and kind. Perhaps it was a case of mistaken identity.” The sirens got closer and blue flashing lights strobed the store.
“It seems I must be going.” Ellery blew Landry a kiss. “Another time.”
“Wait!” Landry called after him, but Ellery had already gone. That man has an annoying habit of disappearing. Landry braced for the interrogation he knew must come, wondering how his day had gotten so bad so fast.
Chapter Eleven
Landry sat on his chair behind the cash desk and watched, helpless, as a bunch of people trampled through Treasure Trove. Every time a booted foot crushed broken glass, he winced. Mr. Lao is going to kill me. In fact, he’s gonna think that death would be an easy way out. He’s gonna torture me, then kill me, slowly. My feather duster is gonna end up in a place the sun don’t shine. Landry sagged, exhausted. He was cold and longed for a coffee. The two cops who had questioned him half an hour earlier, before telling him to stay put, were at the front of the store talking to a woman who Landry guessed must be a crime scene tech. The broken door allowed gusts of cold, damp air to sweep down the center aisle directly to where Landry sat and shivered. He wondered how long it would be before he could make arrangements to get the door fixed. His phone, which he’d put on silent, vibrated. He’d had text messages from almost everyone he knew on the street, all wanting to know what was going on, and asking if he was okay. He kept his responses short, knowing that they’d all be around to find out more once the cops had departed. He sniffed, holding back tears.
Raised voices at the front of the store drew his attention. “Gage.” Bemused, Landry watched Gage berate his colleagues. Landry couldn’t quite make out what was being said, but from Gage’s gestures, he wasn’t pleased. When he was done, the two cops made their way outside and Gage stalked down the aisle to where Landry sat. He came to a standstill with his hands on his hips.
“I can’t leave you alone for five minutes, can I?”
Not trusting himself to speak, Landry shook his head. His lower lip trembled.
“You’re shaking. You’re in shock and you’re injured. I can’t believe those idiots didn’t look after you better. If I have my way, they’ll be on traffic duty for the rest of their miserable lives.”
Landry managed to smile, though it didn’t last. “They’re just doing their jobs and I only have a few bruises.”
“Don’t defend them. I’m gonna make sure their asses are written up at the first opportunity. You’re a victim and at the very least you should have been seen by a paramedic instead of being left to sit here in the cold.”
“You think you might be a little biased?” Landry slipped off his chair and took a few halting steps around the cash desk.
Gage frowned. “No. Maybe. It doesn’t matter. I’m taking you upstairs to your apartment where you can tell me everything that happened.” He pulled Landry into his arms.
“But the door,” Landry protested. “I have to get it fixed.”
“It’s all under control. We have a firm on call.” Gage held him tighter.
“I don’t know whether to be grateful or worried that this happens so often you have a guy on retainer.”
“Upstairs, Landry.”
“Fine.” Once Gage loosened his hold, Landry made his way to the door between the store and the hall then trudged up the stairs and into his apartment, Gage close behind him.
“Go park your behind on the couch, while I make some coffee,” Gage said. “And don’t even think about arguing with me.”
Landry didn’t have the energy to fight. He made his way to the couch, slumping into one corner. He grabbed a cushion to hug, kicked off his shoes then drew his knees up in front of him. The events of the day played over and over in his head like a film reel stuck on repeat.
When Gage appeared, coffee mugs in his hands, he took the chair rather than the couch, placing the drinks on the coffee table. “I’m sitting here because if I get closer, I’ll either want to kiss you or spank you. Probably both. And I have to stay a detective for a while rather than the lover who just wants to hold you.”
“What did I do?” Landry whined.
“You have marks on your face and arms. I’d guess they are going to turn into bruises and I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more under your clothing. Your lip is split and swollen and you’ve been crying. That doesn’t make me feel good, Landry. I wasn’t here and I should have been.”
“How could you be? None of this was your fault. You have a job and I’m a grown-up.”
“This is my case. After you spotted the car lurking outside I should have arranged protection for you.”
“Stop it! I don’t need your guilt on top of mine. Mr. Lao left me in charge and so far it’s been a complete car crash. He’s gonna kill me, then fire me.”
“That makes no sense whatsoever.” Gage’s serious expression broke into a grin. “And he’s not going to blame you either—he’ll understand. You’ve been incredibly brave.”
Landry grabbed his coffee then resumed his position, wishing he were in Gage’s lap instead. “Why is this happening? I haven’t done anything. I don’t get why anyone should be after me when I’m just a not-too-bad sales assistant in an antique store.”
“Tell me what happened. Every detail, Landry, however insignificant it might seem to you.”
Landry related the day’s events in as much detail as he could, hoping he remembered everything. When he got to the part where James Ellery had arrived, Gage’s eyes darkened. Landry ignored his expression and carried on to finish his story. “I still don’t know what key they were talking about. There are dozens of keys in the store…”
“Did you tell Ellery about the key stuff?”
“No. Why would I? I have no clue what it meant.”
“I think I may be able to shed some light on that. Wait…” Gage pulled out his phone, which had started buzzing. “It’s my partner.” He answered the call. “Hey, Sancha. Sure, come on up. Top floor.” He put his phone on the table. �
��She’s on her way. She was on the street talking to witnesses.”
“There are witnesses?”
“Only to the three men getting away. No one seems to have seen them arrive. They had a vehicle parked down the street, far enough away that you wouldn’t spot it and get suspicious.”
“It was raining when they showed up and the street was quiet. I hadn’t had a customer in ages, so I’m not surprised there weren’t many people around.”
Gage grunted. “Let me get the door for Sancha. Don’t move.”
“Where would I go?” Landry sipped his coffee, curious to see what Gage’s partner would be like. She arrived before Gage, tossing her bag on the floor by the couch.
“Two sugars in that coffee, Gage,” she shouted in the direction of the kitchen.
“You think I don’t know that?” Gage yelled back.
Sancha rolled her eyes. “And you must be Landry. Sancha Hernandez. Gage is my partner in crime. I’m the boss, of course.”
“Of course.” Landry shared a grin with Sancha. I like her already.
“Well, I can see why Gage has been getting his tighty-whities in a twist over you.”
“He doesn’t wear any,” Landry retorted.
“I like you.” Sancha took a seat next to Landry. “How you doin’, sweetie? Don’t suppose the big lug bothered to ask?”
“He did, kinda. I’m a bit bewildered. Scared. Mad.” It was easier to open up to Sancha somehow.
“Mad is good. I’d be mad if three moronic thugs had invaded my place of work. Those look sore.”
Landry’s wrists jutted from his sleeves displaying the red welts left by the tape he’d been bound with. He shrugged. “They tied me to a chair with tape. Had to rip it off.”
She reached over to rub at one wrist with her thumb. Her hands were cool. Soothing. “And your poor face… They roughed you up some.”
Landry gripped his mug tighter. “Yeah. I was lucky.”
“I won’t ask you to go through it all again. Gage can fill me in.”
“Can I ask if you learned anything from the witnesses?”
“Other than the direction the perps drove off in, afraid not.”
The Lucky Cat Page 11